Raddysh’s Career Year, College Prospects Honored, NHL Games in Australia? and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Alex Stalock did everything he could to get the Blackhawks a win last night. And, despite getting outplayed in the first period, the Blackhawks had a 2-0 lead early (just as was the case against Ottawa). Unfortunately for Stalock, this game went the opposite direction of the Sens win. Things got worse as the game progressed, and that 2-0 lead finished in a 4-3 loss. And head coach Luke Richardson was as unhappy during and after the game as we’ve seen this season.

  • Taylor Raddysh must have felt like it had been a year since he last scored a goal. In reality, he hadn’t scored since before the All-Star Game; his last goal came in Edmonton on Jan. 28 before last night’s two-goal performance. But even with that six-week drought in the books, Raddysh now has a career-best 16 goals this season. The 25-year-old forward, who was acquired from Tampa in the Brandon Hagel trade, has one more season left on his contract that carries a seemingly silly $758,333 cap hit, making him one of the best values in the entire NHL. Hagel has been a really nice player for Tampa, but the Blackhawks getting Raddysh, Boris Katchouk and two first-round picks from the Bolts appears to have the makings of a legit win-win deal.
  • Where will the Blackhawks’ first-round pick fall in 2023? Right now, Chicago has the second-best odds of winning the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery.
  • Someone somewhere outside Chicago has noticed what I’ve been saying for a while now. The Blackhawks combination of a boatload of draft capital and cap space could accelerate the rebuild. Steven Ellis at Daily Faceoff wrote about the Blackhawks’ new upward mobility on Wednesday and, like me, projects they’re on an fascinating path back to being relevant. In fact, he says he’d be willing to bet the Blackhawks move some of their picks for “actual hockey players” at some point.
  • Chicago, I don’t envision these dark days will last for long. The rest of the season is going to be brutal. Next year likely won’t be much better. But Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson has positioned the team to gain as many assets as possible quickly. No matter the direction he goes, that’s exciting.

  • Boston University is the No. 1 seed in the Hockey East tournament after winning the regular season crown. They’ll host a conference quarterfinal game on Saturday afternoon with two skaters having been named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. Lane Hutson (who’s from North Barrington) and Blackhawks prospect Ryan Greene were named to the squad on Wednesday.
  • Also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team: Boston College forward Cutter Gauthier, UConn forward Matthew Wood, Northeastern defenseman Hunter McDonald, UMass forward Kenny Connors and Northeastern forward Cam Lund. Gauthier, Wood and Hutson were unanimous selections. Wood is a 2023 draft-eligible player to keep in mind in a few months as well.
  • Minnesota-Duluth defenseman and Blackhawks prospect Wyatt Kaiser was named Second Team All-NCHC on Wednesday. Kaiser, who won’t turn 21 until July 31, finished his junior season with 19 points in 32 games for the Bulldogs. I am one of the many who expect the Blackhawks to make a strong push to sign Kaiser when his postseason ends.
  • On Wednesday the Blackhawks placed forward Pavel Gogolev on unconditional waivers. Gogolev, 23, has one goal in two games with the IceHogs since he was acquired as part of the trade sending Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty to Toronto.
  • We’ve seen NHL hockey played outdoors in Los Angeles and Lake Tahoe, in football and baseball stadiums and on college campuses in front of more than 100,000 fans. But… hockey in… Australia? On a tennis court? It looks like that might be happening in the preseason this fall.
  • This was a fun one from last night. Blackhawks fans might remember Fred Brathwaite from his two seasons in St. Louis back from 2001-03 (he appeared in 55 games). Well… at 50, he apparently got the Scott Foster treatment and then some in the AHL last night. With Vegas facing some really tough injury issues in net, Brathwaite signed a PTO to back-up.
  • A tweet from Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News, and subsequent quote from Frank Seravalli, caught my eye yesterday. This is awesome! As a member of the PHWA, this is a tremendous step forward in support of women’s hockey (and overdue in my opinion) and I’m proud that I’m part of a group that’s taking this step. And to make this announcement on International Women’s Day was a nice move. We’re very fortunate to have some exceptional women working with, for and around and covering the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Finally, this sucks for the Bulls and their fans. Unfortunately, that’s been the case for most of this season — and Ball’s injury has been the cause of a lot of that frustration.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of two books about the Blackhawks: "100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

    more blackhawks news

    Blackhawks 0, Senators 2 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

    Remember when the Blackhawks went to California for three games and started each game like they had 45 minutes of hockey to start caring? And dug a deep hole in each game that they were only able to escape from...

    Blackhawks at Senators – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    Don't look now, but the Chicago Blackhawks have won six of their last ten games. They still sit in second for the NHL draft lottery, but they're trending in the right direction; they're .500 in the month of March with...

    These 3 Blackhawks Veterans Are Having Terrific Seasons

    Entering Thursday night's action, the Chicago Blackhawks have the second-worst point percentage in the NHL -- even while they're 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. And they own the second-worst goal differential in the league (minus-76). It's been a long,...

    28 on 28: Steve Larmer’s Rookie Season Remains the Blackhawks’ Standard

    We're ten games away from the end of the 2023-24 regular season, and Connor Bedard continues to put up remarkable numbers for at age 18 in his first professional season. He will likely join Steve Larmer on the list of...

    The Greatest Sports Watching Day of the Year, Next Year’s TV, an IceHogs Stunner, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    Congratulations, sports fans! Today, March 28, 2024 is the greatest sports viewing day of the calendar year. Hands down, lock it up, no competition. It's Opening Day in MLB and Sweet 16 day one in the NCAA men's basketball tournament....

    NHL Notes: Penguins Paradox, Torts Apologizes, Doan’s Dazzling Debut, Rangers Punch Ticket, More

    It's a mid-week edition of NHL Notes and we have plenty to cover around the league. The Penguins find themselves with a tricky decision as their season draws to a close. John Tortorella dished out an apology to one of...

    We Need to Talk About Jason Dickinson As a Selke Trophy Candidate — Again

    Back in early February as the Blackhawks wrapped their pre-All-Star Game schedule, I wrote about Jason Dickinson's case for Selke Trophy votes. We're now ten games away from the end of Chicago's regular season, and with Dickinson reaching 20 goals...

    Slaggert’s Big Night, Bedard’s Tape, Felcman to Rockford, Anderson, Tinordi, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    I'm gonna continue to smile, just like Landon Slaggert, because of his performance in last night's Blackhawks win. The former Notre Dame captain had his parents and young brother in the stands and he had one helluva game last night....

    Blackhawks 3, Flames 1 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

    The message Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was trying to get across with Monday's bag skate clearly landed. The start Chicago had on Tuesday night was a polar opposite of what they showed in the three games in California. They...

    Blackhawks vs Flames – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    After a disappointing road trip that saw the Blackhawks get smoked for 7 of 9 periods, the team got a bag skate on Monday to think about their effort. They'll get back on the ice tonight in front of a...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In their season opener on Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.Keep reading to find out how to watch the Arizona-Colorado...

    Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Logan Allen will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians when they square off against starter Ross Stripling and the Oakland Athletics in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the...

    How to Watch Mariners vs. Red Sox: Live Stream or on TV

    In their season opener on Friday, Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners play Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park.Keep reading to see how to watch the Seattle-Boston matchup...

    How to Watch Padres vs. Giants: Live Stream or on TV

    Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (2-1) host Jorge Soler and the San Francisco Giants (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch...

    Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The St. Louis Cardinals (0-1), led by Paul Goldschmidt, visit Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Los Angeles play St. Louis...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Astros vs. Yankees: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Houston Astros (0-1), with Cristian Javier on the mound, will host the New York Yankees (1-0), who will send out Carlos Rodon, at 8:10 PM ET on Friday.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

    Rays vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0), led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., visit Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the Tampa Bay-Toronto matchup below.When is Rays vs. Blue Jays and...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    more blackhawks news